Re:Illegal Math
by CamperBob2 on Thursday March 17, 2016 @12:19AM
(#11302544)
Doing physics or chemistry can directly harm people. Doing math or drawing pictures can't.
This argument might have worked, up until the point when they criminalized cartoon child pornography.
You will perhaps agree that encryption has the potential to directly harm people just as physics or chemistry?
No.
From what I remember, the child pon drawing law was about people taking child pon photography, and running it through a Photoshop filter to make it look like a drawing. That way people were trying to get around the law. Also, it was trivial to return the 'drawing' back into a photo by reversing the filter.
Hm, but then this is something different, if you just have to reverse a filter, then normal child porn laws apply, I would think.
> You will perhaps agree that encryption has the potential to directly harm people just as physics or chemistry?
I would not agree. Encryption can only indirectly harm people, in the same vein as speech.
Re:Illegal Math
by RockyMcNuts on Thursday March 17, 2016 @02:13PM
(#11306327)
All kinds of speech is regulated... talking about a murder is conspiracy, financial transactions are just bits moving around and they are highly regulated, talking about transactions incorrectly is fraud, yelling 'fire' in a crowded movie theater is a crime... as soon as there's a nexus between speech and action the speech is regulated.
Re:Illegal Math
by CamperBob2 on Thursday March 17, 2016 @04:59PM
(#11307566)
And this is why we have the term mens rea.
Obviously there is much more to conspiracy than "talking about a murder," or Stephen King would be locked up in Supermax. It's as if Comey is asking for the right to review every murder mystery or horror novel before it hits the shelves. If he wants his job to be that easy, he should send his resume to North Korea.
Like the article said analogies are no fun. I agree with your premise but not with your conclusion.
You will perhaps agree that encryption has the potential to directly harm people just as physics or chemistry?